COME BY

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does come by mean? 

• COME BY (verb)
  The verb COME BY has 2 senses:

1. visit informally and spontaneously
2. obtain, especially accidentally

  Familiarity information: COME BY used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COME BY (verb)

Meaning:

Visit informally and spontaneously

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

come by; drop by; drop in

Context example:

We frequently drop by the neighbors' house for a cup of coffee

Hypernyms (to "come by" is one way to...):

call; call in; visit (pay a brief visit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Meaning:

Obtain, especially accidentally

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "come by" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "come by"):

hit; stumble (encounter by chance)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something